RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics recognized 23 award winners at the annual V Awards ceremony, presented by KRGV, on Wednesday at the UTRGV Performing Arts Center.
 
Those winning awards include:
Influencer of the Year – Jorge Salazar (track & field)
Student-Athlete of the Year (Male) – Brandon Pimentel (baseball)
Student-Athlete of the Year (Female) – Luanna Emiliano (volleyball)
Rookie of the Year (Male) – Jedidiah Udunna (track & field)
Rookie of the Year (Female) ­– Charlotte O'Keefe (women's basketball)
Newcomer of the Year (Male) – Daylen Williams (men's basketball)
Newcomer of the Year (Female) ­– Marlene Gutierrez (track & field)
Breakout Athlete of the Year (Male) – Angelo Cabral (baseball)
Breakout Athlete of the Year (Female) – Luisa Silva Dos Santos (volleyball)
Comeback Player of the Year – Lea Karren (women's tennis)
Team Performance of the Year – Volleyball earns first postseason victory
Legacy Award (Male) – Colten Davis (baseball)
Legacy Award (Female) – Julie Lucio (women's golf)
Lou Hassel Award – Randy Garza (baseball)
Anheuser Busch/Ann LaMantia Award – Georgina Hernandez (women's soccer)
Academic Team of the Year – Women's Golf
Community Engagement Team of the Year – Women's Golf
Spirited Team of the Year – Women's Tennis
Iron V – Luanna Emiliano (volleyball), Isaac Lopez (baseball), Derrius Henry (track & field), Marjorie Souza (women's tennis)
Student Athletic Trainer of the Year – Mayra Zapata (baseball)
 
The influencer of the year is a student-athlete that exudes the #RISEup philosophy and shows a great deal of Vaqueros pride. The newcomer of the year awards are given to first year student-athletes that are not freshmen. The breakout athlete of the year is given to student-athletes who made significant jumps in athletic prowess compared to last season. The legacy awards are given to student-athletes who have spent at least four years with their program and made significant impacts during their careers at UTRGV. The Lou Hassel and Anheuser Busch/Ann LaMantia awards are given to the senior student-athletes with the highest grade point averages (GPA) who competed during the current academic year. The academic team of the year is the team with the highest GPA.
 
The Iron V award recognizes student-athletes whose athletic accomplishments reflect their dedication to strength training and conditioning by earning All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year Awards.
 
"Tonight was about celebrating the success of our student-athletes in competition, the classroom and the community," UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. "I'm excited about our future and very appreciative of each and every one of our student-athletes, coaches and administrators."
 
"We are proud of all of our student-athletes for their accomplishments this season. Their hard work and dedication as both students and athletes is apparent, and while we've only honored a select group tonight, they are all deserving of recognition."
 
Student-Athlete of the Year (Male)
Brandon Pimentel (Baseball)
Male student-athlete of the year for the second year in a row … Hitting .369/.472/.638 with 10 home runs, five doubles, 38 RBI, 27 runs scored and five stolen bases … On the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List … Earned Collegiate Baseball National Player and Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Hitter of the Week honors on April 10 … First player in program history with multiple 10+ home run seasons after hitting 12 home runs last season … Ranks second in program history with 22 home runs … 10 home runs this season is tied for the 11^th … Hitting .374 in two season at UTRGV, the third-best mark in program history … Has gone 60 games without an error, the fourth-best streak in program history … Ranks 112^th in the NCAA and fourth in the WAC in home runs (10), 114^th in the NCAA and fifth in the WAC in RBI (38), 127^th in the NCAA and eighth in the WAC in hitting (.369), 144^th in the NCAA and sixth in the WAC in RBI per game (1.09), and 179^th in the NCAA and seventh in the WAC in slugging percentage (.638).
 
Student-Athlete of the Year (Female)
Luanna Emiliano (Volleyball)
WAC Setter of the Year … Broke program record for assists (1,348) while ranking third in assists per set (10.78) … Led the WAC and ranked sixth in the NCAA in total assists (1,348) … Led the WAC and ranked 21^st in the NCAA in assists per set (10.78) … Ranked seventh in the WAC and 191^st in the NCAA in digs (411) … Reached double-figures in assists in all 33 matches played, including 31 matches of 30+ assists, 17 matches of 40+ assists, and seven matches of 50+ assists, including a career-high 72 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as part of the South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union, on Aug. 30 … Reached double-figures in digs 24 times en route to 24 double-doubles … Led UTRGV in assists 33 times, digs eight times and blocks twice … For her career, Emiliano ranks second in program history in assists per set at 10.37 and third in total assists with 2,405.
 
Rookie of the Year (Male)
Jedidiah Udunna (Track & Field)
Quickly becoming one of the best long jumpers the program has ever had … At his first collegiate meet during the indoor season, the Robert Platt Invitational, jumped 7.22 meters in the long jump, leaping straight to No. 2 in program history … Placed seventh at the WAC Indoor Championships, hitting 7.14 meters … Now owns the second, third, fifth and seventh-best marks in indoor program history in long jump … Momentum continued into the outdoor season … At the Charles Austin Classic, set a new outdoor program record, breaking a 32-year old mark, in the long jump with a massive jump of 7.80 meters … Earned WAC Outdoor Men's Field Athlete of the Week award for the accomplishment … Finished third the following week at the Bobcat Invitational with the program's second-best jump of 7.61 meters … Has also competed in the 60-meter dash indoors and the 100-meter dash outdoors, notching personal bests of 6.92 and 10.81, respectively … Currently ranks No. 21 in the nation and No. 2 in the WAC in the long jump.
 
Rookie of the Year (Female)
Charlotte O'Keefe (Women's Basketball)
Averaged 6.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.9 blocks while shooting 44.0% from the field in 28 games (19 starts) … Recorded three double-doubles while recording six games of double-digit scoring and seven games of double-digit rebounds … Scored a career-high 14 points twice, first against Southern Utah (2/4) and then against Utah Tech (2/18), grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds against Utah Tech (2/2), and blocked a career-high four shots against New Mexico State (12/29) … Earned WAC Freshman of the Week honors on Feb. 7.
 
Newcomer of the Year (Male)
Daylen Williams (Men's Basketball)
Averaged 6.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 54.0% from the field in 32 games (22 starts) … Ranked 226^th in the NCAA and sixth in the WAC in defensive rebounding (4.62), 242^nd in the NCAA and ninth in the WAC in rebounding (6.3), and 264^th in the NCAA and ninth in the WAC in rebounds (202) … Led UTRGV in rebounding 15 times and assists nine times … Reached double-figures in scoring eight times, rebounding four times and assists once while recording two double-doubles.
 
Newcomer of the Year (Female)
Marlene Gutierrez (Track & Field)
Gutierrez has been dynamite for the Vaqueros after transferring in as a graduate student thrower from UC Davis … During the indoor season, entered the program record books for the weight throw at all four meets … Owns the second, fourth, sixth and ninth-best throws in program history … Earned back-to-back first-place finishes in the weight throw at the Texas Tech Open (B Section) and Jarvis Scott Open … Earned silver in weight throw at the WAC Indoor Championships with a personal-best mark of 19.23 meters (No. 2 in program history) and was sixth in the shot put with a personal-best toss of 14.42 meters … Outdoor season has been just as stellar, as she has placed in the top-10 in the hammer throw at all four meets so far, including setting a meet record in a first-place finish at the Cactus Cup, where she also hit a season-best 14.13 meters in the shot put to place third … Set a new outdoor program record in the hammer throw at the Bobcat Invitational, launching a throw of 61.80 meters … That toss has her ranked No. 1 in the WAC and No. 35 nationally … Ranks No. 6 in the WAC in shot put and boasts a personal record of 32.29 meters in the discus.
 
Breakout Athlete of the Year (Male)
Angelo Cabral (Baseball)
After going 1-1 with a 6.17 ERA and 18 walks compared to 17 strikeouts in 23.1 innings across 14 games (three starts) last season, is 6-1 with one save, a 3.92 ERA and 46 strikeouts compared to 14 walks in 41.1 innings across nine games (seven starts) this year … Earned D1Baseball National Pitcher of the Week, Golden Spikes Award Performance of the Week nominee, and WAC Pitcher of the Week honors after racking up a career-high 15 strikeouts in 6.1 scoreless innings of two-hit, two-walk ball to beat No. 27 Central Michigan on Feb. 24.
 
Breakout Athlete of the Year (Female)
Luisa Silva Dos Santos (Volleyball)
After averaging 2.04 kills on .246 hitting and 2.87 points per set last year, came back to average 2.35 kills on a program record .340 hitting, which ranked third in the WAC and 86^th in the NCAA, and 3.05 points per set … Ranked second in the WAC and 167^th in the NCAA in total blocks (110), and 24^th in the WAC and 654^th in the NCAA in kills per set (2.37) … Reached double-figures in kills 14 times … Led UTRGV in kills three times and blocks 18 times … For her UTRGV career, ranks third in program history in blocks per set (0.905).
 
Comeback Player of the Year
Lea Karren (Women's Tennis)
Missed over a month during the 2022 dual season due to a medical condition for which she treated over the summer … Has been on a tear this season, boasting a 14-11 record in singles and a 16-9 record in doubles … During the dual season has nine singles wins and 12 doubles wins, including an impressive 6-3 record in WAC play in singles and doubles … Has lined up in the No. 1 singles flight in 11 matches this season and has six victories in the top spot … Success in doubles has paid massive dividends for UTRGV, as she and Barbara Martinez are 12-4 this spring and have earned six wins in the No. 1 flight.
 
Team Performance of the Year
Volleyball Earns First Postseason Victory
UTRGV hosted and won an NCAA Division I postseason match for the first time in program history by coming back from a first set loss to beat Houston Christian 3-1 (21-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-22) in the opening round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) on Dec. 2. Sophomore Claudia Lupescu posted her fourth double-double of the season with a career-high 20 kills on .288 hitting, 10 digs and a career-high tying four blocks. Junior Luisa Silva Dos Santos recorded a career-high tying 17 kills on .500 hitting with four blocks and one ace. Sophomore Luanna Emiliano posted a double-double with 49 assists, 16 digs, two kills and one block. Sophomore Perris Key posted six kills, a career-high 16 digs and two blocks. Junior Regina Tijerina finished with 12 digs and a career-high tying eight assists.
 
Legacy Award (Male)
Colten Davis (Baseball)
Key part of pitching staff for five seasons, appearing in 43 games (31 starts) an going 11-8 with a 5.06 ERA … In 167.1 innings he has struck out 149 while walking just 58 … After pitching 6.0 innings as a freshman and missing the 2020 season due to injury, came back to claim a rotation spot in 2021 and post a 4.03 ERA while striking out 46 in 51.1 innings … Has remained key part of rotation, including this year with 49 strikeouts, one off his career high, and just 13 walks, his lowest in since 2019, in 45.2 innings.
 
Legacy Award (Female)
Julie Lucio (Women's Golf)
Made her collegiate debut in the spring of 2018 and has left her mark on the women's golf program, competing in 58 career tournaments, and has posting seven top-10 finishes, including her first-career win at the 2021 UTRGV Invitational … Has helped rewrite the program record book as she holds the program record for best individual three-round score with a 210 to finish tied for first at this year's UTRGV Invitational … Her 210 also helped set the program record for best team three-round score of 877.
 
Community Engagement Team of the Year
Women's Golf
The women's golf team accumulated 295 hours of service throughout the 2022-23 year and assisted eight organizations … The team participated in 45 community service opportunities and had 100% team participation … Made a strong impact with the Food Bank RGV where they volunteered every Tuesday and Thursday.
 
Iron V
Luanna Emiliano (Volleyball)
WAC Setter of the Year … Broke program record for assists (1,348) while ranking third in assists per set (10.78) … Led the WAC and ranked sixth in the NCAA in total assists (1,348) … Led the WAC and ranked 21^st in the NCAA in assists per set (10.78) … Ranked seventh in the WAC and 191^st in the NCAA in digs (411) … Reached double-figures in assists in all 33 matches played, including 31 matches of 30+ assists, 17 matches of 40+ assists, and seven matches of 50+ assists, including a career-high 72 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as part of the South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union, on Aug. 30 … Reached double-figures in digs 24 times en route to 24 double-doubles … Led UTRGV in assists 33 times, digs eight times and blocks twice … For her career, Emiliano ranks second in program history in assists per set at 10.37 and third in total assists with 2,405.
 
Isaac Lopez (Baseball)
Hitting .342/.420/.575 with eight home runs, eight doubles, one triple, 29 RBI and 32 runs scored in 35 games, all of which have been starts at second base.
 
Derrius Henry (Track & Field)
Henry has competed in the 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash and on the 4x400-meter relay, finishing sixth at the WAC Indoor Championships with the 4x400-meter relay team and 22^nd in the 400-meter dash … At the Cactus Cup, entered the outdoor program record book with the 4x400-meter relay team as they ran 3:13.47 to win the event with the program's eighth-best performance … Personal record times are 48.73 in the 400-meter dash and 23.06 in the 200-meter dash. 
 
Marjorie Souza (Women's Tennis)
Leads the women's tennis team with an 18-9 overall singles record, including a team-best 12-7 singles record in dual matches and a team-best 8-1 record in WAC singles matches … Primarily holds down the No. 3 spot in the singles lineup but has also played at No. 1 and No. 2 … Has a 14-11 overall record and went 5-4 WAC record in doubles, playing with Isabelle Bahr in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots.
 
Student Athletic Trainer of the Year
Mayra Zapata
Zapata is a senior athletic training major who primarily works with baseball.
 
"I have had the pleasure of knowing Mayra for the past few years, and what stands out to me the most is how much she's grown," UTRGV Assistant Athletic Trainer Nick Sauceda said. "Professionally, socially, and academically, she has taken that next step this past year toward becoming a better clinician and athletic training student. I know that if someone needs to be evaluated or I need assistance with an athlete's recovery, I can rely on her to assist in providing the best quality of care that UTRGV can offer. She is now joining a club of great athletic trainers by receiving this award, and I can't wait to see how her career progresses."

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